Jon Cooper was less than impressed after a 6-2 shellacking to the Boston Bruins in their second-round series opener on Saturday.

Following the loss, the Tampa Bay Lightning coach opted for a tough practice Sunday, putting his players through a series of intense drills.

While the practice may have been difficult, Cooper's words following the workout were even harsher.

"I bet you all five games in the Jersey series we had more intensity than we had in Game 1 last night," Cooper said, per Joe Smith of The Athletic. "And that's just not going to get it done."

The agitated bench boss particularly felt his team put up little resistance against the Bruins' dominant top line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand.

Clearly, Cooper is hoping for a better showing when the two sides meet for Game 2 on Monday.

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Lady luck was finally on the side of the Buffalo Sabres.

After previous draft lottery losses saw the Sabres miss out on Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid, a winning combination belonging to Buffalo came up not once, but twice Saturday night.

Already winning the top pick in the first lottery, and the right to draft Rasmus Dahlin come June, the Sabres were picked again in the third draw (the Carolina Hurricanes won the second lottery), which would have given Buffalo the first and third selections.

Of course, since the Sabres' first-rounder had already laid claim to the top pick, a redraw was necessary and ultimately landed on the Montreal Canadiens.

Entering the lottery, the Sabres held a 18.5 percent chance of picking first, and 14.4 percent odds at the third pick.

The Sabres hold the first-overall pick for the first time since 1987, when they chose Pierre Turgeon with the top selection.

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Evgeni Malkin will miss his third straight contest when the Pittsburgh Penguins face off for Game 2 against the Washington Capitals on Sunday, coach Mike Sullivan confirmed.

Malkin returned to practice Saturday in a full-contact jersey and saw some time working with the Penguins' top power-play unit. Following practice, Sullivan indicated that Malkin would be a game-time decision ahead of Game 2.

The Russian center has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury that has forced him to miss both games against the Capitals as well as the series-clinching Game 6 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sullivan later added that Malkin has not experienced any setbacks due to the injury, but rather his latest absence is simply part of the recovery process.

Malkin has notched three goals and two assists in five appearances this postseason.

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The New York Rangers have gauged Ilya Kovalchuk's interest in bringing his show to Broadway.

The Russian superstar, now an unrestricted free agent, has expressed interest in returning to the NHL after spending the past five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, and could find a fit with the Rangers.

"We've checked in with him. It's fair to say that's something we're going to look at again further and see what's going on," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton told Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

Kovalchuk last suited up in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, but retired following the 2012-13 campaign in order to return to Russia. He had 12 years remaining on his contract at the time of his retirement.

Had Kovalchuk opted to return to the NHL prior to the coming season, the Devils would have retained his rights. However, now that his 35th birthday has passed, he is removed from the NHL's voluntary retired list and free to sign with any team.

As of April 15, Kovalchuk can hold talks with interested teams, but cannot put pen to paper until free agency opens on July 1.

In 55 appearances with St. Petersburg SKA this season, Kovalchuk tallied 32 goals and 33 assists. The former Devil and Atlanta Thrasher also notched 816 points in as many NHL games.

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John Ferguson Jr. could be getting another shot.

The Boston Bruins executive is among four candidates to become the next general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon.

Ferguson has spent the last four seasons as the Bruins' director of player personnel, also doubling as GM of the AHL's Providence Bruins for the past two campaigns.

The Montreal native previously served as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2003 to 2008, followed by six seasons as the San Jose Sharks' director of pro scouting.

Reports also indicate Buffalo Sabres assistant GM Steve Greeley has had multiple interviews for the position. Greeley is in his first season with the Sabres after a two-year run as the assistant director of player personnel with the New York Rangers.

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The Vegas Golden Knights thought they had won Game 2 in overtime.

Jonathan Marchessault got the puck past San Jose's Martin Jones late in the first OT, but upon further review by NHL officials in the situation room located in Toronto, the goal was overturned due to goaltender interference.

Here's a look at the play in question, with Marchessault pegged as the culprit:

Cue up the seemingly never-ending debate on how to interpret this rule.

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Jason Botterill knows he's in line to add a prime talent.

The Buffalo Sabres won Saturday's NHL Draft lottery, and can now select Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who's projected to be the consensus top pick.

Related - NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Rasmus Dahlin

As a result, Botterill is now the envy of his colleagues.

"He’s a defenseman 31 teams in the NHL want," Botterill said, per the Sabres' Twitter. "(He has) ability to jump up on the rush, create.

"This is exciting," he added. "For the players too, they want to play with other skilled players. This is a good day. It’s a great feeling. It was nerve-racking at the very end. Just very, very happy for our fans."

Botterill, of course, didn't come right out and say he'll call Dahlin's name.

Dahlin recorded seven goals and 13 assists in 41 games for Swedish club Frokunda this season. He also won a silver medal at the World Junior Championship and appeared in two games at the Olympics as a 17-year-old.

The first round of the NHL draft will take place June 22 in Dallas.

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The Buffalo Sabres won the NHL Draft lottery Saturday night, securing the first overall pick.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens also made jumps up the selection board, and will pick second and third overall, respectively.

The three picks were announced during the second intermission of Game 2 between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks, with the rest of the lottery results decided earlier in the night.

Related - NHL Draft lottery: Order set for picks 4-15

Here's a look at the entire lottery board:

The Sabres had the best chance of securing the top pick after being the first team to finish 31st overall in NHL history. Interestingly, Buffalo is only the eighth last-place team to retain the top pick in the NHL Draft lottery, according to NHL Public Relations.

Montreal moved up one spot, while Carolina made a big jump after finishing 21st overall during the regular season.

The Sabres will almost assuredly select Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin with the first overall pick, adding a blue-chip player to play with franchise center Jack Eichel.

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